The Best Blender Under 200 on Amazon: My Oster Versa Review

I’ve been a fully raw, raw ‘til 4 and a traveling, convenience-loving foodie. Though I say my favorite utensil in the kitchen is my chef’s knife, my blender comes in a close second-place. I mean, I’ve even traveled with a blender in my suitcase.

I’ve been through my share of blenders, but of all the blenders I’ve used so far, my current one is the best I’ve had. My blender, my Oster Versa, has been my favorite blender thus far. That’s why I’m reviewing my Oster Versa 1100-watt Professional Performance Blender and naming it the best blender under $200 on Amazon.

My blender came with:

1- 1100 watt motor

1- 64-oz. BPA-free blender Jar

1-5-cup food processor with S-blade

1- Slicing/shredding disk for food processor

2- Blend’n Go cups + screw on blade for cups

I’ve had this blender for over a year. And I’ve pretty much used it dailly (or multiple times a day) for preparing smoothies. At the very least I have a smoothie for breakfast. Many days I use either the blender or food processor when preparing lunch or dinner, too. To say it’s gotten a LOT of use is an understatement.

TL;DR: Despite being sensitive to daily wear and tear, I love this blender. This was a great option for me because it’s powerful, a 2-in-1 and easy to use. I recommend this blender for people with limited space. I also recommend it for people who want a good blender but won’t use it every day. My biggest problem is that I use it too much and wear it out too quickly.

Even so, I’d buy it again. The customer service is amazing and Oster stands by their 7-year warranty.

Official Amazon Title: Oster BLSTVB-103-000 Versa 1100-watt Professional Performance Blender (less than the price on the Oster website)

Oster Versa 1100 Watt Blender: The Love

The Oster Versa—a twofer!

I love that the Oster Versa is a blender and a food processor. I live in a studio apartment in San Francisco. My kitchen is small and I don’t have much cabinet space.

Since I use the same base for my food processor and blender, it saves me space (and money) to use one motor base. The twofer is a huge reason why I name this Oster Versa 1100 Pro the best quality blender under $200. I can make everything from soup to ice cream to hummus to peanut butter with it.

The Oster Versa is a powerful blender

My Oster Versa 1100-watt blender gets through almost everything. I can make nut/seed cheeses, smoothie bowls and more with my blender.

The Oster Versa doesn’t blend hard veggies well if you have a lot of water in the blender, but that’s most blenders. If you’re going to blend hard foods (like beets or carrots), it’s best to not add too much water at the beginning. Thin it out once the mixture is thick. Power is another aspect that makes it the best blender under $200.

The smoothie setting is convenient

I thought the smoothie setting was overkill at first. It seemed to blend my smoothie too much. But then I discovered how convenient it is and how smooth it can blend smoothies.

I can throw all my ingredients in and let it run. I usually end up with a smooth drink. Whatever you throw in it (beans, oats, carrots, beets, sweet potato) it blends into a smooth smoothie.

The Oster Versa blender is simple

I used to have a blender that had a nob that pulsed and turned had a blending speed of 1-7. I was hesitant about this because it only had 3 settings… low, medium and high in addition to pulse, smoothie setting and salsa setting. But I find that’s all I need.

It could be nice to have more, but I don’t need them. The slowest speed is great for the food processor attachment and light blending. The highest setting is powerful enough to blend up thick sauces and lots of food. Medium is a nice balance between the two.

It’s easy to take apart and clean

I only take this blender apart once a week to thoroughly clean it. The rest of the week I fill it halfway with water and add a dash of soap and turn it on high until all the food is off the side. Any other food is easy rinsed or washed off with a sponge. This is the best way to clean it as the blades are razor sharp. I don’t recommend sticking your hand near the blade to clean it.

Large blender jar/food processor

The last perk about the blender is its size. I’ve had trouble with other smaller blenders in the past. As a fully raw vegan, I sometimes needed to fit 8 to 10 bananas in a blender, plus water. That wasn’t always an easy task with a blender equipped with jars that held 6-7 cups.

I have no problem blending up smoothies for my husband and I to share. I have enough room to blend extra for later.

Food processor attachment

My husband wanted a salad maker. With our limited kitchen space, it just wasn’t viable. Luckily, the food processor comes with an attachment. It slices and grates. I do wish that they had multiple size grates and/or a fry setting. Overall, I’m happy with the simple food processor.

Along with my chopping skills and our hand grater, I can make lots of delicious salads.

I don’t recommend using the high setting for the food processor often. It scares me a little. I worry that I’ll wear out the plastic.

The food processor has a salsa setting

I’ve never had this before and I love it. The salsa setting is perfect for making chunky salsa (duh) or other chunky sauces. It uses the reverse blending feature to blend up perfectly chunky sauces. My favorite use is to make chunky refried beans for tostadas or tacos.

Oster Versa 1100 Watt Blender: The Good

Single serve to-go cups. They’re a nice addition, but I don’t use them much. I’m usually making a smoothie for my husband and I, so we make 6-7 cups to fill us both up.

Oster Versa 1100 Watt Blender: The Bad

My Oster Versa doesn’t stand up to wear and tear

On March 10, 2017 I ordered my second replacement. Good thing it comes with a 7-year warranty. The problem is the square mental rod that secures the blender/food processor to the base. It keeps unscrewing and I can’t screw it all the way back in.

To make up for it, Oster has amazing customer service. They send an entire blender set to replace the broken base. Not bad, eh?

The Blend’n Go cups are poorly designed

This is a problem others have complained about. The to-go cups have a small triangle near the top where food gets stuck. It’s hard to get out and it’s annoying to clean them.

In addition, the to-go cups are a pain to use as they have a 3-piece blade you need to screw on. If you ever need to add anything (water, more food, etc.) food usually gets on the outside when you try to screw it back on.

I wish the to-go cups came with a 1-piece blade. The tops don’t snap securely shut, are prone to leaking and can be difficult to unscrew. Those problems should be fixed, too.

For that matter, the spout on the jug is poorly designed, too. Whatever you blended often drips form the spout.

Tall and heavy

I’ve had full-size blenders that I can fit into a medium suitcase. I wouldn’t dare try that with this one. The base is hefty and the jar is super tall. I can only use it on counter tops that don’t have cabinets over top.

Oster Versa 1100 Blender: Yea or Nay?

For me, it’s a solid “yea.” It’s the best blender under $200 (and under $150) and the best blender for your money if you don’t want to pay for a Vitamix.

The Oster Versa 1100 is not without its flaws. After review though, my Oster blender comes out with more benefits than detriments.

Despite being sensitive to daily wear and tear, I love this blender. This was a great option for me because it’s powerful, 2-in-1 and easy to use. I recommend this blender for people with limited space. I also recommend it for people who want a good blender but won’t use it all the time. My biggest problem is that I use it too much. I wear it out too quickly.

However, I’d still buy it again. The customer service is amazing and Oster stands by their 7-year warranty.